There is a Time

Article for December 28, 2025

Galatians 4:4–5 4When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

We have been reading the Old Testament and have followed mankind from its beginning up to Saul and his successor David from the House of Jesse.  We have witnessed the many sins of mankind from Adam and Eve to Saul, and we know the sins of David will also be exposed.  From the beginning to Noah and from Noah to Moses and from Moses to Jesus concludes a fullness of time.

And in all this time from Adam to Jesus the Hebrew people struggled with other nations.  The Hebrews also struggled with themselves.  The Hebrews did not struggle because God left them, but because they left God time and time again.  “There is a time,” We read in Ecclesiastes.  And like the Hebrews we have taken time to its fullest through a yo-yo relationship with God and wonder if He has left us.  Looking at our time; God has not left us we, at times, have left Him.

In all the history of mankind we see God calling back His people.  Though we turn our backs on God, He never really turns His back on us.  The proof is in the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Christ’s second coming will be the last call.

Matthew 2:13 13When [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

The three wise men have been a symbol of Christmas for many years.  However, these wise men did not appear to see the baby Jesus until He was two years of age.  But we count it as part of the Christmas story as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.  These wise men or three kings or three Magi came from distant lands not associated with the Hebrew nation but coming from the orient as some say or from the east. 

Three Magi from the East who most likely worshipped an idol god, and they see a Bright Star, and they follow it to where the baby Jesus is born.  I am sure that after two years Joseph and Mary had a better place to stay than the stable Jesus was born in.   How did these three wise men know except the Star they followed?  And how did these three Magi decern that this was a God to worship over their own idol gods they had made and followed? 

Now these three men were surely wise as they did not return to Herod.  Yes, it was after the three wise men heard angels telling them all in their dreams not to return to Herod.  That had to have been one interesting conversation when these three discovered they all had the same dream.  Or maybe these three wise men were not so wise.  Well, we do not know if these three Magi converted to Judaism or if they simply returned to business as usual worshiping their idols.

Matthew 2:16 16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

Herod who probably thought of himself as a very cunning man tried to use these three wise men to find the baby Jesus who is a king.  But because God is in control, Herod failed to discover the foretold messiah whom Herod feared.  Herod, who becomes furious will now take the lives of many innocent children in hopes of killing this king who might take Herod’s position away from him.

Where is God at this time when He is needed to save those children of Bethlehem?  Seems like a Savior would have tried to save these victimized children of those who followed God whom a savior comes.  You might be inclined to think in worldly terms as you ponder this tragedy.  I tell you these children were saved and certainly by the savior sent by God who escaped to Egypt.

Let us put our minds on spiritual things rather than worldly things.  These children whose blood is on the hands of Herod are saved and live with Jesus.  You see Jesus died for these victims, too and has already clothed them with His righteousness.

Matthew 2:19 19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”

Herrod dies and this was what God the Father was waiting for.  You might ask why God let Herod live as long as He did.  The truth is we should ask the same about ourselves.  Why does God let us live, as we know we too sinned against God.  Oh, you did not murder little children? Are we not sinners too and is not death the punishment for all sin?

We ask many questions about God and what He chooses?  Why indeed did God choose to let these children die?  The answer lies in where we live now and where will we live next in the grand scheme of God’s will.  Do you yet realize God judges' things spiritually and not physically?  Do you realize there will be true eternal life for believers. 

God claims eternal life through His glory, His Son Jesus Christ, rather than from worldly falderal.  The world chooses death for all its followers, and God chooses eternal life for His followers.  Which of the two do you want to follow.

Matthew 2:21–22 21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

God does not grow old nor is He old, for God is and always has been.  In our future with God, we will have eternal life and we will be.  The world lets you grow old but eternal life replaces the wear of time with eternity.  In heaven we are no longer prisoners to time, we just will always be. 

Galatians 4:6–7 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Jesus says pray to our Father in heaven who has and will overcome this world and all the evil in it.  Jesus who also has seen death conquered death and gave those who had faith hope.  Jesus who suffered and died for our sin resurrects those who have passed before us, and this gives us sure hope.  That we too will have sure hope as well and can look forward to our own resurrection.  A gift undeserved and yet still given, it is called the gospel, the good news.  Amen.

Written by Pastor Curtis A. May